Food Waste Disposers have become commonplace in modern American kitchens. These appliances mount beneath the kitchen sink, and grind waste into a liquid or puree, which is then led into the drain system to which the sink is normally attached.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a typical such system is shown. The waste disposer 6, attaches to the strainer 4 which in turn is affixed to the sink. Electrical power to drive the grinder is routed to the disposer by means of conduit 8. The ground or pureed waste exits the disposer through drain pipe 10.
The waste disposer can be troublesome to install, however, due to a combination of the close quarters encountered by the plumber beneath the sink, and because of the weight and awkwardness of handling the disposer itself.
In fact, many a plumber has experienced back injuries caused when trying to lift the waste disposer into position with one hand, while trying to align it and secure it in position with the other hand, all the while on his knees in front of a base cabinet containing the sink. This invention not only makes the installation faster and easier, but eliminates the risk of such back injury.
Referring to FIG. 2, a typical prior art installation system is depicted. The strainer 12 is inserted into the sink 2, and an adapter 4 is screwed onto the strainer 12 using a sealing washer 14 to help create a water-tight seal. The top of the disposer body must then be rotated about the adapter to secure the disposer to the sink. Rotating the disposer relative to the adapter, while keeping the two components aligned, can be time consuming and frustrating, especially for a plumber working alone on the installation.
The present invention provides a simple tool to facilitate this installation, providing for the lifting of the disposer and maintaining the disposer in place beneath the sink strainer and adapter, allowing the plumber to rotate the disposer while maintaining the alignment required.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tool to assist in the installation of waste disposers in kitchen sinks.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the tool includes a threaded shaft, a stabilizing plate through which the shaft passes, and which is inserted and retained in the sink strainer, and a lift plate through which the shaft passes, which is cocked to permit passage through the sink strainer and into the top of the waste disposer located below the sink.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, the shaft threads mate with a nut attached to the stabilizing plate, so that rotating the shaft raises or lowers the lift plate relative to the stabilizing plate.
In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, the lift plate has a central hole with a diameter sufficiently larger than the diameter of the shaft to allow the lift plate to be cocked for insertion into the top of the waste disposer.
In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, the attachment between the nut is accomplished by means of two or more lift arms.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention, a rotatable handle is provided, which can be aligned with the axis of the shaft, or can be disposed at right angles to the shaft to facilitate rotating the shaft.
In accordance with a fifth aspect of the invention, the lift plate is in the form of an elongated rectangle wherein the opposing shorter sides are curved.
In accordance with a sixth aspect of the invention, the lift plate contains ridges on the upper surface to stabilize the lift plate within the waste disposer.
In accordance with a seventh aspect of the invention the stabilizing plate is circular, and contains a ring attached to the lower surface which fits within the sink strainer, stabilizing it within the strainer.
In accordance with an eighth aspect of the invention the stabilizing plate is substantially rectangular in shape, and the threaded member has one or more threaded member flanges which mate with the stabilizing plate, preventing the threaded member from rotating relative to the stabilizing plate when so mated.
In accordance with a ninth aspect of the invention the threaded member flanges capture the stabilizing plate within the flanges when the threaded member flanges are mated with the stabilizing plate.